Emulsion paint has gone soft!!

[DAVID FINLAY]

I was repainting a wall in a house which is 18 / 20 years old, the wall is bone dry and had been painted with about 3 previous colours / layers, with silk emulsion, we were painting with white silk emulsion. After about 15 minutes a few large blisters appeared, we decided to scrape them off with my credit card! only to find that all of the paint had gone soft and could be literally peeled off the wall cleanly right down to the plaster with ease. In all my years I have never seen or heard of this happening, does anyone have any idea what has happened.

 

[opps]

I suspect that one of two things.

1. The first coat of paint was a low latex emulsion.

2. The first coat was not sufficiently thinned and subsequent coats are reactivating previous coats.

You can strip all of the old paint away using a steam stripper, but that may blow the plaster. Zinsser make a number of paints that will prevent the water in your new vinyl silk from soaking it to the old paint.

You can phone them for recommendations 0191 410 6611

 

[DAVID FINLAY]

I suspect that one of two things.

1. The first coat of paint was a low latex emulsion.

2. The first coat was not sufficiently thinned and subsequent coats are reactivating previous coats.

You can strip all of the old paint away using a steam stripper, but that may blow the plaster. Zinsser make a number of paints that will prevent the water in your new vinyl silk from soaking it to the old paint.

You can phone them for recommendations 0191 410 6611

Thank you for that comprehensive explanation, I don't think it's going to be a problem stripping the rest of the wall!! It will be great for peace of mind starting from bare plaster, from what I've seen it is in really good condition.

Thanks again.
Davy